Adolph moonelis



a Shets-Sheet 1.

Patented Feb; 6, 1894.

(No Model.)

A. MOONELIS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING CIGARETTE WRAPPERS.'

h. lllllj l Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

WH'MIIIIIIIMII NIH"lllllll"Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll (NoModel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. MOONELIS. MACHINE FOR CUTTING CIGARETTE WRAPPERS.

No. 514,236. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

I {El-[mar UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH MOONELIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONALCIGARETTE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR CU TTING ClGARET TE-WRAPPERS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 514,236, dated February6, 1894:.

A I Application filed May 9, 1392- Serial No. 432,270. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADOLPH MOONELIS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented andproduced a new and useful Machine for Cutting Cigarette -Wrappers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates, as above-stated, to a machine for cutting wrappersfor cigarettes, and it more especially is designed and intended to beused in connection with what are known as all tobacco cigarettes; thisclass of cigarettes employing tobacco leaf for covers or wrappersinstead of paper or other artificial material.

In the utilization of tobacco leaves for cigarette covers, it isnecessary to secure a sectionof tobacco leaf rectangular and preferablyoblong in shape, the relative dimensions of the sides and ends of thewrapper depending upon the nature of the cigarette to be covered, and toso cut the wrappers as that the seams or veins of the leaf will, whenthe wrappers are cut therefrom as aforesaid, lie'parallel to the main orlonger edge of the wrapper so that when the cigarette is rolled and thewrapper is wound around it, the said veins or seams will lie along thelength of the cigarette, and by pressure be embedded therein withoutdanger of breaking or disfiguring the complete article of manufacture.It is also essential in the manufacture of fine quality of all tobaccocigarettes, to secure'wrappers therefor which will be as free aspossible from disfiguring s'eams or veins, and to this end it isessential and in fact necessary that the operator when cutting theWrappers from the leaf, should keep as near as possible to the outeredge, thus avoiding the heavy central vein or seam, and the branchingveins immediately contiguous thereto.

With these ends in view, I have designed and perfected a novel cuttingdevice whereby the operator will be enabled to feed the tobacco leafthrough the cutting machine, and have devised a means which will permitof an unobstructed View at all times-of the tobacco leaf being operatedupon, so that an intelligent workman can with great rapidity sever thewrappers from the tobacco leaves, and at the same time so guide anddirect the leaf as that the best economical results can be obtained fromevery leaf, irrespective of its size, peripheral irregularity,distribution of seams or mutilation of surface or body.

The principal part of my invention consists specifically in providing atransparent stripper or holding and guiding plate having an opening forthe purpose hereinafter described, made of glass, celluloid or anysuitable transparent substance, and pivoting it upon an arm, lever orother frame whereby it will automatically close upon the leaf beingoperated upon without special intervention.

Another important feature of my invention consists in the novelarrangement of the cutting apparatus including with a cutter andtransparent holding plate a bed or table having an opening through whichthe knife or cutter is adapted to penetrate, the opening beingrectangular and preferably oblong in shape to correspond with the sizeand shape of the cigarette wrapper. This rectangular and oblong openingis set at an angle, and preferably at an angle of about forty-fivedegrees, to the front edge of the table or bed of the machine, so thatthe operator in feeding the tobacco leaves over the bed or table can,

by moving the lower' edge of the tobacco leaves, as hereinafter shownand described, parallel with the ,edge of the table so project .theleaves as that successive incisions will be cut at approximately theangle aforesaid and for the following reasons:-As is well known, theveins or seams of a tobacco leaf which radiate from the main centralseam lie at an angle of about forty-five degrees relative to the main orcentral seam and approximately parallel with each other, so that: incarrying my invention into effect as above described, the operator can,with his eye, so direct each leaf as thatthe radiating veins or seamswill lie with each successive adjust,

ment, in line practically or approximately parallel with the longersides of the rectangular opening of the table. In this manner I so cutthe wrappers as to embody these radiating veins or seams so that theywill not interfere with the rolling operation and so that when thecigarette is rolled, the vein or seam in the wrapper can be easilypressed into the body of the cigarette without danger of breaking thewrapper or distorting the completed article of manufacture. As acomplementary part to the above, it is necessary of course to arrangethe cutter and the penetrable opening of the stripper upon the sameangle as the rectangular opening of the table.

My invention also consists in other special adaptations which thepeculiar nature of my machine demands; all of which will be duly setforth in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part ofthis specification and in which:

Figure I represents a front elevation with a portion of the table or bedplate cut away to show some of the working parts. Fig. II represents aside elevation of the machine. Fig. III represents a perspective view ofthe Working parts of the invention. Fig. III is a detail View of thefinished wrapper. Fig. IV is a top View of the rectangular cutter. Fig.V is a longitudinal section of the rectangular cutter. Figs. VI and VIIare detail views of the holding plate and its fastening arrangement.Fig. VIII is a plan view of the stripper and its attachment. Fig. IX isa side elevation of the same parts, and Fig. X is a plan view of theoperating table or bed plate.

In these drawings, A represents the frame of my machine and B theoperating table or bed plate.

0 is a rectangular opening in the table B, preferably oblongin shape tocorrespond with the dimensions of the wrapper to be cut, and

set, as shown, at an angle to the front edge I) of the table. The sidesand ends of this opening are provided with cutting edges, the centralportion of the table or bed plate being formed of steel or othersuitable metal.

At D I show a transparent stripper orguiding or holding plate secured asshown to an arm or lever F. This lever or arm is pivoted atf to astandard G rising from the table B. The arm or lever F extendsrearwardly and abuts against the pin h upon the vertically moving rod11. The stripperor holding plate D is made of glass, celluloid or anyother suitable transparent material and is provided with an opening Erectangularand oblong in shape and made of exactly the same size, andadapted to register with, the opening 0 in the table or bed plate 13.

As stated,the openingE is of the same size and dimensions as the opening0 and one lies exactly over the other when the holding plate is presseddown upon the table. A spring J extends between and connects the arm orlever F with the standard G so that as the pin it carried by thevertically moving rod II is lifted, the spring J will draw upon thelever or arm F and permit the stripper or plate D to drop upon the table13 thus closing upon the tobacco leaf located between the plate and thetable, the openingE registering with the opening 0 so that when thecutter hereinafter described descends it will penetrate both of saidopenings and sever the section of leaf carrying it down and depositingit upon a holder beneath the table. This holder is shown at K andconsists of a bracket extending horizontally outward and is provided atone side with a pair of jaws K, K hinged to each other and havingacentral opening adapted for the reception of the screw spindle M andarranged to be locked on said spindle by means of thumb screw N. Thescrew spindle M at its lower end is provided with bevel gear M whichintermeshes with,and is adapted to be operated by, a similar bevel Marranged at right angles thereto, the latter being mounted upon ahorizontal shaft 0. This horizontal shaft is provided at its farther endwith a ratchet wheel 0. In Fig. II, I show a pawl P for operating saidratchet wheel extending downwardly and connected to treadle Q pivotedthereto as shown and held in position against the aforesaid ratchetwheel by means of spring Q.

At R I show a finger extending outwardly from the vertically travelingholder K and at R I provide an arm pivoted at r to a standard S and atits outer end hinged as at s toa vertically moving rod S. The rod Sextends downwardly and the parts are so arranged that when the finger Rcomes in contact with the arm R, it will press downwardly upon it and bymeans of the mechanism just described raise the rod S and ring the hellT. When the parts have reached this position and the alarm has beenrung, it will indicate that five hundred wrappers have been cut, for, aswill be seen, every time the treadle Q is pressed down, it will operateto throw the ratchet wheel 0 through the medium of the pawl P which inturn will cause a partial rotation of the spindle M through the mediumof shaft 0 and bevel gears M, M this action will cause the holder K tofeed downwardly.

The indicators which I have shown and described may be changed atpleasure and be made to register any desired number without departingfrom the spirit of my invention in this respect.

The mechanism I have shown and described is simply adapted to carry myidea into effeet and may be varied in different ways. The verticallymoving rod H is attached at its lower end to the treadle Q and when thetreadle Q is pressed down at its front end, the rod II will he raised.The rod II is attached at its upper end to the lever U at a. The lever Uis centrally pivoted at u in the standard or frame U. The farther end ofthe lever U is attached to the vertically sliding rod V at o. Thisvertically sliding rod is guided in ways V, V and is adapted to movevertically and in a direction opposite to the rod II. The rodV isprovided at its lower end with a rectangular oblong cutter W havingknife or cutting edges on its four sides and corresponding in size andshape to the openings E of the plate D and O of the table B.

At X I show small pressure fingers adapted to move vertically in therectangular cutter W and provided with cushioning springs :2. Thesepressure fingers are arranged one at each corner of the cutter. When thecutter is forced down and reaches the end of its downward stroke and thecutter lies upon the accumulated wrappers, the pressure fingers will beslightly compressed; immediately upon the releaseof the cutter, thesprings a; will expand into their normal positions thrusting the fingersdown and causing the discharge of the last wrapper from the cutter.

At Y, I show a spring for retracting the I working parts to their normalposition after the pressure of the operators foot has been withdrawnfrom the treadle Q.

The operation of my machine is as folloWs:- By referring to Fig. III, itwill be seen that the tobacco employed is in the form of half leaves,the leaves being cut longitudinally from end to end and along the mainor central seam or rib. The tobacco leaf or half leaf is fed preferablyfrom left to right, the operator standing in front of the machine andholding the leaf in both hands. vIt will be seen also by referring tothe drawings that the smaller veins or ribs of the tobacco leaf radiateapproximately at angles of forty-five degrees from the main or centralrib. The operator feeds the leaf by using the central line of the leafas a base and feeding it parallel with the edge or front I) of the tableso that the radiating seams or ribs will, as the leaf moves over thetable, fall in line parallel with the longer sides or edges of therectangular opening 0 and consequently of the complementary rectangularopening E and cutter W. When the leaf is placed in the proper position,the operator presses upon the treadle' Q effecting the releaseoftheplateD and causing it to drop down upon the leaf and hold it against thetable B. Upon a further pressure on the treadle the cutter is forcedthrough the leaf and the wrapper severed therefrom. By reasonof thetransparency of the plate D, the operator is enabled to nicely adjustthe leaf in respect to the edges of the opening 0 of the table so thatthe greatest economy is effected in the cutting of tobacco andall theradial seams or ribs are cut in or out in the most desirable manner ineach particular instance.

Having thus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by LettersPatent:

. 1. In a machine for cutting the wrappers of cigarettes, .a transparentholding plate having an opening as shown and adapted to operate,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a machine for cutting the Wrappers of cigarettes, the combinationof abed or table having an opening as shown, a transparent holding'platepivoted thereto, the said transparent plate having an openingcorresponding with the opening of thetable,as and for the'purposes setforth. i 3. In a machine for cutting the wrappers of cigarettes, thecombination of the table having an opening therein with the transparentholding plate pivoted thereto, and having an opening and the rectangularcutter arranged to move vertically relatively to the holding plate andtable, and to co-operate with them in the cutting operation, as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. In a machine for cutting the wrappers of cigarettes, the combinationof atable or plate having an oblong rectangular opening therein whoselonger sides are set at an angle approximating forty-five degrees to thefront edge of the said table, a transparent holding plate pivotedthereto and having an opening, and a rectangular cutter corresponding insize to the rectangular opening of the table, all adaptedto operatesubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a machine for cutting the Wrappers of cigarettes, the combinationof a table having a rectangular opening therein set at an angle to thefront of the table, and provided with cutting edges, a rectangularcutter corresponding in shape, size and position with the aforesaidrectangular opening, and provided with knife edges and the intermediatetransparent holding plate having an opening, all arranged substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a machine for cutting the wrappers of cigarettes, the combinationof a table having a rectangular opening located at an angle to the frontof the table and provided with cutting edges, with a reciprocatingcomplementary rectangular cutter, all arranged substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

7. In a machine for cutting the wrappers of cigarettes, the combinationof a table having a rectangular opening arranged at an angle to thefront of the table provided with cutting edges, a reciprocatingcomplementary rectangular cutter arranged at the same angle to the frontof the table and having means for discharging the severed Wrappertherefrom, substantially asset forth.

8. In a machine for cutting the wrappers of cigarettes, the combinationof a table having a rectangular opening set at an angle to the front ofthe table, a reciprocating rectangular cutter and means substantially asshown and described arranged intermediate of the out: ter and the tablefor holding the leaf in position on the table, the said cuttercorrespondingin size, shape and position with the opens ing in thetable, as and for the purpose set forth. Y

9. In a machine for cutting the wrappers of cigarettes, the combinationof the vertically reciprocating cutter, a table having an openingtherein corresponding tothe cutter, means with of the holder,substantially as and for for operating the cutterandan intermittentlythe purposes set forth.

moving holder K arranged beneath the opening in the table and meansoperative1y con- ADOLPII MOONELIS' 5 nectedw ith the reciprocatingcutter for oper- Witnesses:

ating said holder and an indicating device HERBERT KNIGHT,

adapted to be actuated by the contact there- M. V. BIDGOOD.

